


Second Chance People

by Missy



Category: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
Genre: Banter, Bonding - Through Problemsolving, Captivity - Macgyver escape, Enemies to Friends, Friendship - Fire-forged Friends, Gen, Humor, Protection - Mutual, Rescue - Character perceived as weaker saves the day, Rescue Missions, Road Trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-23 23:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21089843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Dixie recruits an unusual rogue's gallery of friends and enemies to help her rescue Brisco when he's held by a serial killer.





	Second Chance People

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesertScribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertScribe/gifts).

Of course Brisco would get himself kidnapped at the most inconvenient time.

Her stomach jumped every time she remembered that fact, so she tried to push down her fear with laconic sarcasm. Dixie Cousins shook her head and sighed, squinting out into the warm, dry sunlight beaming down onto her head from on high, making her feel overheated. She wasn’t used to being awake at this time of the morning, but the telegram she’d gotten after closing the San Francisco show had sent her tumbling out of bed and into the carriage, in which she’d slept. She felt mussed and a bit exhausted.

And she was going to have to confront a few people she’d rather not see when they got to the end of the road, which made the notion of smiling, grinning and bearing it all the more daunting.

By the time she pulled into Deadwood Falls, she was starving. Grabbing the small valise she’d packed, Dixie paid the coachman, and then said, “Do you know of any good places to eat around these parts?

He scratched his head and smiled. “Well, miss, there’s a place called the Slaughtered Pig that’s up around the bend.”

She’d eaten at worse-sounding places. And, she suspected, for Pete that would be the place to go. She’d called her sister to meet her here, had called in reinforcements, because this was Pete’s last location – and Pete was the sort who roamed but also left calling cards. He enjoyed attention too much not to.

Dixie took time to find the telegraph office and have him wired down at his last known Colorado address, and then checked the hotel situated above the Slaughtered Pig. To her relief, her sister had indeed checked in under her usual alias (Mary Sanguine. Now that would’ve been a fine dance hall girl’s name) and Pete, too, was maintaining a room here as he had for the past four months. Dixie sent two messages up, and then tucked into a thick steak dinner at the bar. By the time Dolly sashayed down to meet her, she felt like a living, breathing human being again.

“I suppose you have to have a good reason for calling me down from Reno,” she said airily, then ordered a finger of bourbon. “You can’t be out of money, and you can’t be in trouble – posters would be everywhere.” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Dixie Mae, are you pregnant?”

“No! You know I’m smarter than that!” she insisted. “It’s about Brisco,” she said.

“Oh. I might have guessed so. When is it not?” asked Dolly.

She put down her whiskey. “No, Dolly, it’s serious this time. He’s been kidnapped by someone who’s been killing US Marshalls.”

Dolly frowned. “And no one else can save him?”

“They have Bowler too. Socrates sent me the wire, he’s already sent Whip out but the kid ended up jailed down in Covington Falls. Whip said he’s supposed to send me Comet, who he says will help.”

Dolly slugged down her brandy. “Don’t you and that horse have…get-along issues?”

“Well, not all the time. He does enjoy it when I scratch him behind the ears – as do most men,” Dixie said. “But he won’t let anyone but Brisco ride him.”

“That fool Socrates! What are we gonna do with a horse none of us can ride?”

“Well, that’s why I called...”

“Miss Dixie Cousins.” Pete Hutter said from the doorway. He deliberately drew out the first syllable of her name – Da-Ix-ie.

“You invited Pete Hutter into this mess?!” Dolly hissed.

Dixie shrugged. “I’ve been working with Pete since I was with Smith. He knows his way around a gun battle, he’s got a brain in there for scheming – and he’s been trying to redeem himself for his past. I’m working on my second chance, Dolly, I suppose it’s fair to give Pete one too.” 

“Would you stop discussing my intellectual capabilities and moral fiber as if I were not in the room?” Pete asked.

“Well, then don’t act like you have neither,” Dolly said. “So we’re even.”

Pete shrugged. “And why have you invited your sister? At last blush you told me that you simply do not get along with her.”

“We get along fine,” Dixie lied. Everyone knew they were competitive, but with Dixie now in love with Brisco and Dolly busy in Reno, there had been little opportunity for rivalry.

“Did you not nearly come to blows over one Mister Brisco County Junior?” asked Pete.

“No, and that’s in the past. I need your help,” Dixie admitted. “Bowler and Brisco are being held hostage by Tony Rigatoni, one of Bly’s men. He’s been killing US Marshalls left and right, and Brisco and Bowler happened to be in the wrong place ar the right time – he slipped them a mickey and decided taking them for ransom would be a better deal than just killing them for pleasure. Brisco managed to get word out through the man’s moll the other day and we know where he’s being held – it’s a cave out in the middle of Nevada, about a two-day ride from here. The telegram with the info got to me through Socreates and it found me in San Francisco. He’s sending Brisco’s horse – thing got away and ran all the way to San Francisco. It’s coming on a train by five. They said if they don’t get a million dollars, they’ll execute Brisco and Bowler by Sunday.”

“That’s your plan? Miss Cousins, it is Wednesday afternoon. We’re going to have to do a lot of riding to make it there in time.”

“And you know we can do it – especially if two of us ride on Comet. Can your horse keep pace?”

Pete frowned. “Madame, I will not have old Lead Belly insulted.”

“Then we leave after Comet gets here,” said Dixie firmly. “Agreed? Dolly?”

“Well, the casino is in good hands for the next week. I suppose I can spare the time…”

“Pete?”

“Do you expect altruism?”

“And talent.”

“Well…excuse me….Bly employed a gentleman named Tony Rigatoni?” he asked.

Dixie shrugged. “Oh, Pete, It’s not the strangest name you’ve ever heard in your life. We worked with a fella named Pontoon Magoo when Smith was in Arlington.”

“That was a special circumstance. He was desperate for the extra help, and we could not find a man who could perform bird calls on such short notice.”

Dixie shook her head. “I never have seen a man die so messily.”

“Weren’t he the fella with the false teeth?” Pete asked.

“Yes, and he always said ‘by crikey’ even though he wasn’t from Australia.”

“A character,” said Pete.

Dolly coughed. “Aren’t you going to formally introduce me?”

He blinked at the sight of Dolly and then thrust out his hand. “Pete Hutter.”

“Dolly Cousins,” said Dolly.

“See?” Dixie said. “isn’t this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?”

****

**~~**************************************************************************~~**

“Comet, you know who I am,” Dixie said, as she tried for the fourth time to mount the horse and settle into place upon his back. “Why are you being so stubborn?”

Comet nickered. She wished for the hundredth time that she understood him in the same way that Brisco did.

“Perhaps you should give the other Miss Cousins a try,” said Pete.

Dixie blew a blonde curl out of her eye and saw Dolly, watching her with a lace parasol propped over her head in riding clothing that absolutely. Dixie had made it easy on herself – breeches, men’s shirt, hat, and a bandana. If need be she could deepen her voice or give herself a cork mustache and pose as a man, just as she had done before under Smith’s tutelage. 

“If he won’t let me ride, I don’t think he’ll let Dolly ride.”

“It would be a far better idea than sitting here with our thumbs poised to burrow betwixt the cheeks of our posteriors,” said Pete.

Dolly shrugged and moseyed over to the horse. She leaned in close to Comet and whispered something in his ear before getting her foot in the stirrups. 

And she stayed seated.

“What the hell did you promise him?” Dixie asked Dolly.

“A bunch of green apples at the first stop,” said Dolly. “C’mon now, let’s go!”

The three of them, compass, maps and supplies at hand, walked the carefully marked path across the border and into the desert.

****

**~~**************************************************************************~~**

“How much longer am I going to have to survive off of beef jerky and cantine water?” asked Dolly. She had been riding on Comet’s back for the past half mile – a long mile. The next bit of shade they found, Dixie vowed to herself, she was going to pull the lot of them to a stop and make them rest.

“Until we reach civilization,” Pete said. “Which might be a very long time.”

Dolly grumbled in response, leaning against Comet’s saddle with a sigh. “The directions say due north for another two days?”

“They do,” Dixie said. She’d spied a very tall cactus, which she led her sister to and then sat underneath.

“We can’t be setting still for too long,” said Pete, though he sounded weary.

Dixie made an assenting sound. It was so hot that even Dolly was drooping in the saddle.

Dixie thought to herself it wouldn’t hurt to close her eyes for just a second. Just one blissful, brief second…

****

**~~**************************************************************************~~**

When Dixie next awoke, it was purely dark, she was sitting on a horse, her hands bound and the animal speeding along at a wild pace. She had to remind herself to stay calm, to keep her wits about her.

First she tossed the loosely-gathered burlap sack from her head with a quick, natural movement of her neck. She took a look around – Pete was unconscious and strapped to the back of the neighboring horse. Dixie was riding belly-down on the horse before her, bound down by ropes.

Dixie recognized the person holding them hostage by the big bald spot at the back of his head. It was Tony Rigatoni! 

For the sake of her sister, Dixie sat still, did nothing. To kick Tony off the horse – Comet, she realized, driving them in the direction of Brisco – would be to endanger her sister, who sat wedged between them. Dixie bided her time, until they reached the cave described in Socrates’ note. 

She kept her eyes closed, went limp, when Comet stopped. Did nothing to stop him as they were loaded into a cave and landed with a splash in a shallow, water-filled cave. 

It would be better to face the elements, easier, from the ground they had than risking a confrontation in the desert. 

****

**~~**************************************************************************~~**

“What was the name of the train that ran me over?” Pete asked, his head still in a burlap sack. 

“I don’t know, but it took me out too,” said Dolly.

“It was Rigatoni. He must have found us while we were asleep,” Dixie said.

“For the love of Smith and Wesson, Why didn’t you shoot him?” Pete asked.

“How exactly was I supposed to shoot him without causing Comet to bolt and risk Dolly’s life?”

“What a wonderful choice. I’d rather be dead than drowned,” said Dolly.

“We’re not going to drown. I’m going to dive down and see if there’s a way out from up here,” Dixie said. “Pete, do you still have your lucky slug in your pocket?”

“Miss Bessie and I have never been parted,” Pete said.

“Good. If we have to, we can use use it to plug any small holes we have at the bottom of the cave.”

“That will not be necessary,” Pete said. “I will instead take a small chunk of muddy clay and grind it into a plug.”

“We’ll drown before that happens!” Dolly complained.

Dixie dove beneath the rising water, checking around in the semi-lit darkness for a way out. But there was none – just a crack that let the water in. But Dixie had a quick idea; after quickly catching her bindings on a rock formation near the current water line, she rubbed until her bonds came free. Swimming to the surface, she untied Dolly’s hands, then Pete’s then pulled the sack from over Pete’s head.

Dixie pulled a silver thong from her hair. “Take my hair clip and the clay and use them to plug the crack that’s down there – five inches to the right. Let Dolly dive. I’m not the only Cousins who can hold my breath for fifteen minutes.” Pete managed not to say something unforgivably blue, to her amusement, in response. “I’m going to look around and see if Comet’s still there.”

And, with determination, she scaled up the rocky terrain.

Tony was arrogant – he’d left Comet hitched inches away, perhaps so he could have a quick getaway after doing whatever horrible thing he was about to do to Brisco and Bowler.

Dixie brushed a wet lock of hair out of her eyes. She could see Comet at the lip of the cave, staring at them. 

“I know you don’t like me yet,” she muttered. “But if you help us, let me use your neck to get us out, I’ll give you every single apple in all of California.”

She let out a shrill whistle.

Comet yanked the hitch right out of the post and came right to her.

****

**~~**************************************************************************~~**

Tony went down with one punch from Pete, to Dixie’s shock. And Brisco and Bowler – well, they were alive, and right as rain, by some miracle, though only seconds had lain between their drowning in an adjacent cave and Dixie and Dolly’s championship swimming interference. 

The two of them had a new gift from Professor Wickwire; a small mechanical aircraft that would allow them to fly back to San Francisco without any further trouble to bring Tony in.

Brisco nestled himself next to Dixie. “I don’t know how you did it,” he said. “But Comet’s taken a real shine to all three of you.”

She smiled. “It’s like I told Pete,” she said, and then yawned. “He comes from second chance people.”


End file.
